Automatic train-signal.



M. B. BULLA.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.22. 19H.

Patented Nov. 19, 1918.

lNl/E/VTUR M BBuZZa ATTOR/V/E KS.

MELZBERN BERNIE BULLA, OF EL PASO, TEXAS.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN-SIGNAL.

Application med 22, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MELBERN B. BULLA, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of El Paso, in the county-of El Paso and State of Texas, have invented a new and Improved Automatic Train-Signal, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to safety appliances for railways and has particular reference to automatic track appliances serving either to give indications of signals to the locomotive driver or to insure the operation of automatic train stops, although the braking or stopping mechanisms that may be relied upon are not indicated in this particular instance.

More definitely stated my improvement relates especially to a railway track safety brush. I distinguish from an auxiliary rail,

ramp, or other track obstruction. whereby I am more certain of securing proper operation of the electric devices when the track is covered with snow, ice, sand, or other materials which are so apt to prevent the proper operation of other types of automatic signaling devices.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrange ment and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein. still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings. in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a diagram showing my improved track devices in relation to the meet-' ing ends of adiacent rails.

Fig. 2 is a diagram in plan showing my improvement in connection with an electric signal; and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional detail on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, for an understanding of the mechanism, I show at A and B the adjacent rails of two adjacent railway blocks and at C is a semaphore which is to be taken as typifying any suitable signal devices used in connection with a railway.

At 10 I show a brush representing an electric contact member adjacent the track which when denergized because of danger Specification of Letters Patent. Patented NOV. 19, 1918.

Serial No. 197,914,.

ahead will serve to actuate certain devices carried by the locomotive or other parts of the train for stopping the train or giving such signals to the trainmen as may be requisite, such features not constituting any part of the present invention. The brush 10 is supported upon a base 11 of insulation through which the bonding wires 12 leading from one rail to the other are threaded. It follows, therefore, that in the event of the brush being torn from its place by a brake or anything that should be dragging from a train passing thereover, the bonding wires normally connecting the adjacent rails of adjacent blocks, will be torn asunder.

At 13, I show a battery in a circuit 14; and in this circuit is arranged a relay 15 having an armature 16 pivoted at 17. When the circuit is broken either because of the disconnection of the contacts 18 by the setting of the semaphore to danger position or because of the failure of the circuit or battery or any other reason, the armature 16 will gravitate to the position shown in Fig. 1 where it makes contact with a contact member 19 bonded through a post 20 and wires 12 to rail A. The brush, therefore, is given a metallic connection through a shank 21, support 22, and the parts just above described with the rail A, the shank 21 being in metallic contact at its upper end with th brush, as shown. It will be seen, therefore, that when an oil-coming train attempts to pass the danger signal, some suitable device on the locomotive will make contact with the brush and complete a circuit through the rail and wheels to apply the brakes or perform such other functions as may be desired to prevent an accident. When, however. the block signal is clear and the contacts 18 are reconnected, the relay will be energized and break the connection between the armature 16 and the contact point 19. At this time the brush being supported upon its base 11 and so insulated from the bonding wires 12. will be electrically disconnected from the rail A, and the train devices will not be affected. This operation just described is predicated upon the fact that the battery 13 and circuit Mare in perfect condition. Should they fail, however, for any reason the brush will automatically be brought into metallic connection with the rail A and will stop an base of insulation 11 out of contact with the shank 21, While the post 20 is connected'metallically With the rail A through said bonding wires.

In Fig. 2 I indicate my improvement as applied to, an electric signal of any known or" suitable type, the "same including" a si-g nal lamp C arranged in a circuit 23 having a battery 2-1. Associated with this circuit is another circuit 25, in which is a relay 26. clear, is held up by the relay 26, but when the signal is set at danger, said armature- 27 drops to close the circuit 23by engaging the contact 28. Thearmature 27 carries a con tact 29 coiiperating with a pair of contacts 18 pertaining-to a circuit let similar to that already described in connection With Fig. l. When the track is Clear and the armature'27 is attracted by the relay 26', the contacts 29 and 18 clos'ethe circuit 14, and

thereby the armature 16 isheld up by the magnet 15'.

In the practice; of my invention thetrack circuit is carried from one rail to, the other through the bonding Wires which extend- I through thebase of the brush. The objectof running the bonding wires" directly through: theinsulated base of the brush is to insure thatin case the brush is'torn out 0t place the action Will be, just thesame as a broken rail and hence the block signalswill'be set at redr onboth sides ofitwh-i'ch Will-,- of course,- result in the stopping; of a train approaching from either direction. The insulated joint makes this; result positive, but a brokenrail does not always: do this because it sometimes happens that a rail may be broken and the endsnot separated far enough to' break the-circuit.

An armature 27, when the track is- I claim:

1. In a train signal appliance, the combination of a pair: cit-railway rails, bonding means extending from one rail to the next, anelectric contact brush, a support for the brush adjacent to the joint between the rails, said'support including a base of insulation, said bondingmeans assing through said insulation base Where y the brush is immovable from the rail joint Withoutdisturbing:

the bonding means,v a relay adjacent to the base, normally closed circuit in Whichthe, relay is posit oned, signalmeans serv ng tosulation through which-said bonding means extends-,-j an electric brush supported: uponsaid' block and thereby insulated from the bonding means, supportingmeans. for the; block including a post having meta lic connection, with the bonding means, said supporting means also: including; a eontact post havinga shank extending.- throughthe block into metallic connectionwi-th the brush but insulated from the bonding; means, a relay adjacentto the block, an arma-ture for the relay norm-ally bridging the space between the two posts aforesaidv bringing the brush into electrlo conl'lecti'on with one-oi thevrails',

and signaling means serving to energizethe relay so as to breakthe, electric connection between the brushand the-rail: aforesaid Manes-Rn- BERNIE, BULL-a Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddresstng -thei Commissioner oi Patents,

Washingtomllfi, 1 

